1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to socket wrenches, and more particularly to such wrenches which have a retaining means.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many suggestions for retaining socket wrenches and nut retaining socket attachments or the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,543,175 to McCarthy June 23, 1925, 26 for Magazine Spanner describes a wrench which retains a plurality of nuts by employing a plurality of shouldered ball nosed plungers 14 formed in the walls of a tube 6 in which excess nuts are retained.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,354 to Sheetz Nov. 5, 1940, for Magazine Wrench describes a wrench having spring loaded retaining balls 20 in a groove 21 for retaining nuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,704,681 to Fischer Mar. 22, 1955 for Retainer Assembling suggests a split ring 14 held concentric with the axis of the tool shank 10 by an O-ring 16 which retains the retracted nut.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,798,394 to Hubbard July 9, 1957, for Socket Wrench Having Nut-retaining Means describes a head 13 larger than nut 10, with wire springs 20 held tightly against the nut to retain the nut.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,489 to Madsen July 28, 1959, for Magazine-Type Socket Wrench suggests a series of circumferentially spaced detents 44 and 46 in the form of balls to retain nuts in a magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,367 to Vose Oct. 24, 1961, for Nut-Retaining Socket Wrench describes a resilient retaining ring 34 which is stretched outwardly to admit or release balls from the chamber or magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,416,395 to Hanson Dec. 17, 1968, for Lug Wrench with Storage Magazine and Nut Holding Means suggests ball detents 16 diametrically spaced, to admit or release lug nuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,883 to Stumpf et al Dec. 24, 1974, for Nut Retaining Socket Wrench describes a nut retainer member or plug 38 to hold the nut 11 in the wrench.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,513 to Thompson Feb. 18, 1986, for Wrench with Nut-retaining Mechanism describes a wrench of an ordinary type having a detent 22 actuated by a spring 38 acting through a lever 24 by means of a spring 48. The detent may be de-actuated by a keeper which maintains the spring under compression.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,454 to Laskey Nov. 19, 1985, for Nut Retaining Socket with Replaceable Nut Retainer suggests a nut bore retainer consisting of a recessed, cylindrical piece containing an offset looped spring 60 which is caused to retract and release the nut when the nut is driven completely home.